“I aim to come out fighting for the World Championship from the first race in 2022”
Sam Lowes completed a successful second season with the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team in 2021 with a fourth place finish overall in the Moto2 World Championship. Lowes claimed an impressive tally of five podiums, three victories and six pole positions to show once again why he is one of the fastest in the intermediate category. In this special interview, the Briton reflects on a positive year while outlining his goals for 2022.
Can you give us your assessment of the 2021 season?
“The last season had some really good points and unfortunately some not such good points. We finished fourth overall in the World Championship and I’m slightly disappointed with that because we started the season so strongly with wins in the first two races in Qatar. I then made some mistakes and lost points and in doing that I lost some momentum and some confidence. I certainly want to do better than fourth overall next year.”
What lessons have you learnt in 2021 that will help make you stronger in 2022?
“You always learn something that can help you in the future and this year I felt I controlled my emotions a lot better. Sometimes I should have accepted the position I was in and finished the race rather than trying to push for a little bit more. It’s all so easy to say after the event but I have learnt a lot in my second year with the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team. They’ve helped improve my riding and we all know as a group there are a lot of things we can improve on to help us fight for the title next year.”
What would say was your best moment of the 2021 season?
“Winning the first race in Qatar was very special because it was a long winter, you’ve done all the training and testing and there is a big build-up, so I was really proud and happy to win that. Winning again in Misano after a few difficult races was also special because in that period as well I seemed to keep finishing in fourth position and just missing the podium.”
What are the key areas you feel can be improved for 2022?
“I need to understand that in some races when you’re in a good position and maybe not feeling the best with the package, it is crucial to finish and score points. That helps you build momentum for the next race because each time you DNF you must pick yourself up and start again at the next race. I know I can be a little bit smarter in certain situations and in terms of my riding I still need to improve in the middle of the turn and on corner exit.”
What is your plan for the start of the winter break?
“I always analyse the previous season and try to understand where I and the Team can be stronger because we are all trying to be better moving forward. I’m going to be working hard and training, but I’ll also take time to enjoy myself with my family because it is important to have that balance. We have the potential to fight for the World Championship next year and we need to do that and this winter will be concentrating on doing everything possible to make it happen in 2022.”
What are your goals for 2022?
“My goals for next year are clear. I must be fighting for the World Championship, and I believe both myself and the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team can do that together. I want to be competitive and battling at the front in every race because if you do that, you’ll be a title contender. I need to improve in a couple of areas because the competition in Moto2 is so tight, but I aim to come out fighting for the World Championship from the first race.”
You have a new teammate for 2022 with Tony Arbolino joining the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team, so what do you think about him as a rider?
“Tony has proven how fast and talented he is because in 2020 he was fighting for the title in Moto3 all the way down to the last race and that’s not easy. It wasn’t easy in his first year in Moto2, but this is such a competitive class, and it is hard to understand his level after just one season. He did some great rides in Le Mans and Austin where he was very fast. To be as fast as he was on a difficult track like Austin, having never ridden a Moto2 bike there was impressive. I expect him to be fast next year and I’m looking forward to working with him because he seems a really cool and great guy. It will be a nice ambience together, which I think was missing at times this year, and I’m sure we can help each other improve.”